Fundamental characteristics and 3D electromagnetic analysis for magnetic levitation transporter using YBCO superconductors

A magnetic levitation device with two-dimensional movement, the so-called "levitating X-Y transporter," has been developed. In order to develop a working levitating X-Y transporter, it is necessary to clarify the levitation characteristics, such as the lift force, levitation height, and stability against mechanical disturbances. In this paper, we examine the lift and the restoring force experimentally and propose a new simulation program based on the three-dimensional hybrid finite and boundary element method to analyze the dynamic behavior of electromagnetic characteristics of YBCO bulk. Using the numerical simulation and experiments, we investigated a suitable arrangement of permanent magnets to enhance the levitation characteristics. We also designed a levitating transporter which can carry a load of 200 kg with a gap of 16 mm.